(EDITOR’S NOTE — Each North
Carolina Baptist college was invited to submit an article for a feature package
in the Sept. 11 issue of the Biblical Recorder. Scroll to bottom to find links
to all the stories.)

“At Gardner-Webb, we believe
that students are our purpose, our mission and our product,” said Frank Bonner,
president of Gardner-Webb University (GWU).

Students are the lifeblood
of Gardner-Webb and a $5 million gift for a new student center acknowledged
that fact. Long-time university benefactors Robert and Carolyn Tucker made the
largest donation in GWU history this year for a project scheduled to be
complete in 2012. Groundbreaking for the Tucker Student Center will take place
this fall, and the facility will be much more than a building, it will become
in many ways the heart of campus life. The three-story complex will be a
functional atmosphere for activities and entertainment with meeting space for
student organizations, conference rooms, mail facilities, student dining, the
university campus shop, multipurpose facilities, and lounges. It will also
house student offices and work space for organizations that include Student
Government, Campus Ministries, Leadership Development, Community Engagement and
Service Learning.

Garnder-Webb University photo

Leaders at Gardner-Webb University consider the students the lifeblood of the university.

When speaking about the
gift, Carolyn Tucker shared why the family has been so supportive of the
university over the years: “I’ve seen so many instances of young people,
including my daughter Lisa, who went to Gardner-Webb and they were changed by
being there. Now that’s what I want to be on board with — an organization that
is changing lives.”

Life changing and life saving
is what the Gardner-Webb School of Nursing has been doing for over four
decades. GWU nursing alumni are serving throughout the world in hospitals,
missions and in educational settings. This year, the School of Nursing took
another major step as a true leader in education with the addition of a Doctor
of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree.

Gardner-Webb Provost and
Senior Vice President, Ben Leslie, says
“The doctoral level program allows us to round out our offerings with an
opportunity for upper level leadership training for the nursing profession,”
said Leslie.

The primary target audience
for the DNP is nurses holding a Master of Science Degree in Nursing who are
working professionals with experience in nursing education, nursing
administration, or advanced nursing practice in a specialty area.

The GWU School of Nursing’s
long list of degrees already includes the Associate Degree Program, a four-year
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program, and the Master of Science
Program. The addition of the DNP
Program will allow students to complete their entire nursing education at GWU.
“Our goal remains unchanged — to provide the best education we possibly can in
a context of faith, service, and leadership preparation,” said Leslie.

Gardner-Webb has been fortunate
in this time of a struggling economy. Enrollment stability and even growth has
been reported in several areas. This fall, Gardner-Webb celebrates its largest
student body to date with 4,338 students (undergraduate and graduate). Due to
consistent enrollment increases over the past few years, especially in our
on-campus population, two new suite-style residence halls have been added to
the Gardner-Webb campus. These buildings house an additional 176 students. With
these facilities in place, GWU can now serve 1,282 resident students with
on-campus housing.

The new residence hall
facilities are not the only upgrades and enhancements to the Gardner-Webb
campus this fall. At Dover Memorial Library, a redesigned and renovated
user-friendly open learning space has enhanced the relaxing atmosphere of the
library for study and reflection. Extended library hours to 2 a.m. now offer
students more time for research and academic development. A new self-service
coffee shop has also been added to the library.

The John Henry Moss Stadium
officially opened this fall and will serve as the home for Gardner-Webb
baseball and provides opportunities for more university and community events
and activities. Moss, a baseball legend, accumulated numerous regional and
national awards during his lifetime. Included among his achievements was
selection into five Halls of Fame, including - the North Carolina Sports Hall
of Fame and the North Carolina American Legion Baseball Hall of Fame.

Since 1972, Dover Memorial
Chapel has been a graceful and inspiring structure, marking the formal entrance
to campus. Last summer, the interior of the chapel was completely renovated.
The 336-seat sanctuary is used for a number of events including Divinity School
chapel services, campus ministry gatherings and prayer services for students,
faculty and staff.

Visitors to campus will also
notice a new Stadium Drive gate and entrance. The Bridges Gate was finished
this fall and includes digital billboards, a water feature and a unique
architectural design with arches and a tower. This new structure welcomes all
who come through the south gate of campus for athletic and cultural events. The
digital billboards are utilized to promote university events and activities to
the community.

ABOUT THE BIBLICAL RECORDER
Since 1833 the Biblical Recorder has served North Carolina Baptists as the Baptist State Convention's official news journal - with the emphasis on news. The paper was founded by Thomas Meredith, an early pastor, writer and denominational statesman in North Carolina.